Can opener



Aug. 10, 1954 w. w. EDLUND CAN OPENER Filed July 9, 1951 m N M@ mw y uw, ma ln, LKN.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1954 CAN OPENER Walter W. Edlund, Burlington, Vt., assignor to Edlund Company, Inc., Burlington, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application July 9, 1951, Serial No. 235,752

(Cl. Sli-6.4)

, 15 Claims.

The present invention relates to can openers, and more particularly to that type of can opener of the household size for mounting on a wall.

An object of this invention is to provide a can opener which comprises a single unitary housing with the operating mechanism disposed therein, said housing being adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vertical surface to prevent wobbly movements during the can opening operation.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a can opener of the type disclosed which is stationarily mounted on a vertical surface in a compact manner, this position of mounting being the same during the can opening operation as when the opener is not in use.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a simplified means whereby the bead of a can being opened is constantly being urged toward a portion of the housing acting as a stop member. This means includes the use of a spiral cut feed gear which contacts the outer periphery of the bead of the can.

A-further object of the invention is to furnish Va permanent magnet removably mounted over the top of the can which is being opened, said magnet grasping the lid when it is completely severed from the can and holding it until the can is removed from the opener. Then the lid may be removed from the magnet by hand.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an operating handle which rotates on an axis longitudinal with respect to the operator, said handle controlling, by a camming action, a pivotally mounted lever having a cutting tool on the lower end thereof. Resilient means is furnished to resist said camming action and to urge said tool toward the above-mentioned spiral gear so that the bead of the can to be opened will be secured between the tool and the gear.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken away sectional View of the present invention showing the arrangement of the operating mechanism inside the housing;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the invention showing the compact design and the sturdy mounting means;

Fgu'e 3 is a front elevation of the handle operated lever;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the magnet vand its housing; and,

Figure 5 is a plan View of the lower partition which is mounted in the housing.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the handle operating lever showing a disk cutting tool mounted thereon.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

Conventional can openers of the household vtype take many forms. Many of the openers are removably-mounted onfa bracket secured vto--a wall and are adapted to lie close to the wall when not in use. When it is desired to remove the top of a can the opener is swung out away from the wall. A disadvantage of this type of construe tion is the tendency of such openers to become wobbly or loose. Also the necessity of swinging the operating bar out from the wall, effecting the opening operation and then swinging the bar back to the wall, requires more time of the operator. Further, means must be provided to maintain the operating bar sufficiently rigid during the opening operation. Therefore, the lever must be lifted before it can return to a position against the Wall. Other types of openers must be lifted or tilted from an inoperative position to an operative position. Conventional can openers usuaily require a separate lever mounted on the operating bar for puncturing the can.

The present invention has been designed to obviate these requirements and considerably simplifies the can opening operation.

The housing illustrated generally by the numeral i9, is elongated and in the form of a channel, which includes a web or front portion l l and flange or side portions i2 and i3. The housing is adapted to be mounted on a vertical surface by anges it and i5 so that its longitudinal axis extends in a vertical direction. These anges are integral with side portions l2 and I3, and extend in a plane normal thereto. An aperture is furnished in flanges hi and i5 adjacent the upper end thereof to receive screw means for securing the housing to said vertical surface. It will be noted that the mounting flanges are positioned intermediate the upper and lower ends of the housing, and are of such a width as to provide suncient bearing surface on the wall to insure rigidity. Of course, the rear edge of the side portions also bear against the wall to provide further rigidity. The complete housing already described is formed from a single piece of metal which decreases cost and simplifies the manufacturing operation.

The upper edges of side portions i2 and i3 are tapered upwardly from the front portion to the wall, these edges being illustrated by numerals lia and i3d.

At the lower end of the side portions a pair of parallel outwardly extending members It and Il are formed. Retaining grooves i8 and i9 are fashioned in these flanges for receiving the housing of av permanent magnet. Each of these flanges are undercut at the rear end thereof to provide a recess 2t. Side portions vi2 and I3 extend downwardly below said recesses to tapered edges 22 and 23, respectively. Aligned apertures 24 and 25 are formed in the lower ends of said side portions. A cylindrical roller 25 is mounted between the lower ends of the side portions and is maintained therebetween by means of a bolt 21 which is received by apertures 24 and 25.

To maintain the side portions parallel, partitions 28 and 29 are utilized. These partitions may be secured to the side portions in any convenient manner. As here shown I provide aligned slots in the side portions for receiving projections on the partitions. The ends of the projections extend slightly beyond the outer surface of the side portions and are then upset to prevent their withdrawal from the slots.

Partition 28 is angular in cross section, having a vertical leg 3S and a horizontal leg 3|. Each leg portion is bored to provide apertures 3M and Sla. Partition 29 is mounted at the lower end of the housing and has an extension 32 which is adapted to rest in recesses 2i?. The central portion of this extension is cut out to form a recess 33 to permit the cutting tool to rest therein. The outer portions of the extension, represented by numerals 32a and 32h act as stop members to limit the upward movement of the can which is being opened. An aperture 29a is provided in partition 29 to rotatably receive the lower end or" vertical shaft 35s, the other end of said shaft being journaled in aperture 3io in partition 28.

A cogwheel 35 is secured to the upper end of shaft Sli for rotation therewith, said cogwheel being spaced from leg 3l ci the partition by a raised annular shoulder 3S formed concentric with aperture Sla. A feed gear 3l is mounted on the lower end of said shaft, said gear being provided with an axially threaded aperture iii and peripheral teeth 39, said aperture threadingly receiving the threaded end of shaft 34. Teeth 3S do not extend exactly parallel to the vertical of the rotor but instead are cut in a helical pattern. This specific design for the feed gear acts upon the bead of the can being opened in such a manner that the bead is always lifted up to the stops 32a and 32h on partition 29. Also, this design prevents the can from dropping out of cutting position.

I have provided a simplified means of rotating shaft As mentioned above, most can openers have a handle operated on a transverse axis.

This means that the axis of rotation must be spaced from the wall, where the opener is mounted, at least a distance equal to the length of the handle. Further, an additional distance must be provided in order to prevent the operators hand from striking the wall. This of course means that the opener must project outwar-dly from the wall such a distance as to become unsightly. As heretofore mentioned, many of the openers are swung baclr against the wall, but

again the device is still unsightly. Further,

while the opener is in operative position, the axis of rotation of the handle is spaced so far from the wall that rigidity in the device is lost.

The present means for providing rotation for shaft is very compact and is spaced from the wall such a short distance as to prevent wobbly operation. The axis of rotation of the handle is longitudinal with respect to the operator. An aperture titi is formed in front piece Il in axial alignment with aperture 30d of partition leg 3i). A bushing 4l is adapted to be positioned in aperture it for reciproeation therein, said bushing having a concentric bore 42. Shaft is is adapted to be journaled in aperture 30a and bore e2. A cogwheel lili is fixedly secured to shaft i3 for meshing engagement with cogwheel 35. Near one end of shaft 53 a turned-down portion 25 is provided to t in aperture The end is turned down slightly more and screw threads are formed thereon. Nut 46 is utilized 4 to secure the shaft in position. The reciprocation of bushing il is accomplished by means of a pair of cam ears a5 located on the enlarged end of an operating handle 4l.

A square head @3 is provided on one end of shaft d3 and ears .6 are secured thereto by rivet es. Handle 4'! has a conventional rotatable knob 5i! at the outer free end thereof. One corner of the enlarged end of the handle is beveled as at 5l. When knob 5i! is pulled outwardly a short distance, beveled surface 5l contacts bushing 4i and forces it inwardly along shaft Q3.

The reason for reciprocating bushing il inwardly is to permit the bead of a can to be grasped between the cutting tool 52 and the spiral feed gear 3l. This is accomplished by the use of a lever 53 pivotally mounted in housing li] by the use of bolt member 53a, said bolt being received by aligned apertures in the housing and lever. The lever itself comprises a pair of parallel vertical members 54 and 55 connected at their rear edges by cross members 5t and 5l, all of said members of the lever being integral with each other. At the upper end of said vertical members, ange-like ears 54a. and 5ta extend inwardly from the forward edges. These ears abut the inner surface of bushing M.

t is possible to utilize cutting tools of various shapes and constructions with my device. For instance, a disc type cutting tool such as is commonly used with can openers may be used. In the modification of my device shown in Figures l-S, show the use of a cutting tool which consists of a blade xed to the lever 53. It is obvious that a disc type wheel, for instance, may be i'ixed to the lever 53 in place of the blade 55. In Figure 6 there is shown a disc cutting tool 52a connected to the lever 53h.

The lower end of cross-member 51 has an aperture 5S therein. Knife blade 52 is adapted to lie against the lower portion of this cross member, said blade having an aperture 59 in alignment with aperture 523. To connect the blade to the cross-member a bolt Gt is utilized, said bolt passing through aperture 59 and is threadingly received in aperture 58. The usual cutting edge is furnished at the lower end of the blade and is indicated by numeral 6 l.

It will be seen that whenever knob 5G is pulled outwardly away from its normal position, beveled edge 5l contacts bushing #il and moves it axially along shaft During the travel of the bushing it contacts ears 5ta and 55a causing the lever to pivot about bolt 53a. ln doing so blade -52 is moved outwardly away from the spiral feed gear, permitting the bead of a can to be inserted therebetween. However, it is apparent that if the top of the can is to be removed, the blade and gear must form a bite on the bead. Therefore, I utilize a coil spring 52, One end of the coil spring rests in a seat t3 formed in cross member 57 and the other end rests in the adjusting screw Sli, the latter end being received by the hollowed-out interior of the screw illustrated by numeral 55. By adjusting screw 511 the compressive force, on the lower portion of lever 53 is regulated. This, of course, determines the force with which blade 52 and gear 3? grip the bead of the can.

Another feature of applicants invention is the addition of a small permanent magnet et positioned in such a manner to grip the top lid whenever it is severed from the can, thus permitting the operator to remove the can without fear of having the lid sink down into the contents of the we" ,n 1,

can. This magnet is mounted in a housing 61 and is secured thereto by inturned anges 68. The housing includes a front piece 69 having an angularly extending inscribed line IU on the face thereof. The expression Start can this angle is also inscribed on the face kof the front piece. At each side of the housing I furnish a flange 'I I having a raised surface I2, the latter being complementary with grooves I8 and I9 in projections I6 and I'I, respectively.

The operation of the can opener will now be described in detail. First, it is necessary to mount the housing on a vertical surface. This is accomplished by placing screws in the apertures in flanges I4 and I5 and securing these screws to said vertical surface. Next, knob 50 is pulled outwardly away from housing ID, thereby further displacing blade 52 from feed gear 31. The bead lof the can is placed between blade 52 and feed gear 31, with the top of the can in parallelism with inscribed line 1I), and knob 5U is permitted to return to its normal position. Then the handle is rotated about its axis thereby rotating feed gear 31. Since teeth 39 are arranged in a spiral pattern they tend to force the can upwardly causing the blade edge 6I to enter the can. As the rotation continues the upper edge of the bead rises until it abuts members 32a and 32b of partition 32. After completion of the cutting operation the severed lid is grasped by magnet 66. The can is removed from between the blade and feed gear by pulling outwardly on knob 50.

A decorative cap I3 is adapted to t over the upper end of housing IIJ. This cap has a raised surface 'I4 which fits in complementary relation with raised surface 'l5 on side members I 2 and I3.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I have provided a can opener which accomplishes the objects set forth. This opener combines compactness of design and rigidity of operation with an efcient and yet simple cutting mechanism. The device is so designed that there are but few parts to be manufactured and each of these has all separate parts Yformed integrally by stamping or other similar process. The assembly of the parts can be simply carried out and are positioned in the housing in a logical manner.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that variations in details of form may be made with- -out departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A can opener comprising a housing, upper and lower partitions mounted in said housing, said partitions having aligned apertures therein, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a second shaft journaled in said housing and one of said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first-mentioned shaft, a lever pivotally mounted in said housing having cutting means mounted on the lower end thereof, said cutting means being positioned adjacent said feed gear, and means urging pivotal movement of said lever and said cutting means toward said feed gear.

2. A can opener comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in said housing, a second shaft journaled in said housing, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof and pivotal on said shaft, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower 'end of the'firstmentione'd shaft, a vertically extending lever, means pivotally mounting said lever in said housing, a cutting means mounted on the lower end of said lever adjacent said feed gear, the upper end of said lever being positioned adjacent said second shaft, a bushing mounted on said second shaft adjacent the upper end of said lever and between said upper end and the handle, said bushing and the upper end of the lever being pushed away from the handle end of said second shaft by outward pivotal movement of the end of said handle thereby moving said cutting means away from said feed gear, and means urging said cutting means toward said fee'd gear when the end of said handle returns to its normal position.

3. A can opener comprising a housing, a vertical shaft journaled in said housing, the lower end of said shaft having a toothed feed gear thereon, a second shaft journaled in said housing above the first mentioned shaft, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle pivotally mounted on one end of said secondshaft for rotation of said shaft and for pivotal movement of the end thereof outwardly away from said housing, a vertically extending lever pivotally mounted in said housing, a cutting tool secured to the lower end of said lever in a position adjacent said feed gear, the upper end of said lever being positioned so as to be moved by said handle upon pivotal movement thereof so that pivotal movement of the end of said handle forces the upper end of the lever away from the handle end of said second shaft thereby moving said cutting tool relative to said feed gear, and means resiliently resisting said relative movement.

.4. A can opener comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a vertical surface, said housing including face and side portions, said side portions being parallel to each other and perpendicular to said face portion, said face and side portions being elongated and extending in a vertical direction, each of said side portions having rear edges adapted to abut said vertical surface, a flange integral with each of said rear edges and extending outwardly therefrom in a plane parallel to said face portion and adapted to be rigidly secured to said vertical surface, upper and lower partitions mounted in said housing, a shaft journaled in said partitions, a second shaft journaled in said face portion and one of said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on the end of said second shaft adjacent said face portion, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first mentioned shaft, a cutting tool mounted in said housing with the lower portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, and means urging said tool toward said feed gear.

5. A can opener comprising an elongated channel-shaped housing including face and side portions, each of said side portions havinga free edge opposite to the edge connected to said face portion, outwardly extending flanges mounted on each of said free edges, said anges and free edges being adapted to lie against a vertical surface with the flanges rigidly secured thereto, upper and lower partitions in said housing for connecting said side portions, said partitions having aligned apertures therein, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a second shaft journaled in said housing and one of'said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first mentioned shaft, and a cutting tool mounted in Said housing with the lower portion thereof adjacent id feed gear.

S. A can opener comprising a housing, upper and lower partitions mounted in said housing, said partitions having aligned apertures there in, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a second shaft journaled in said housing and one of said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first mentioned shaft, a cutting tool mounted in said housing with the lower portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, and a magnet removably mounted in said housing adjacent said tool.

7. A can opener comprising a housing, upper and lower partitions mounted in said housing, said partitions having aligned apertures therein, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a second shaft journaled in said housing and one of said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first mentioned shaft, a cutting tool mounted in said housing with the .lower portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, a pair of spaced projections extending outwardljI from said housing forward of said cutting tool, said projections having grooves formed therein, and a permanent magnet, a housing, said magnet being supported in the last named housing, iianges attached to said last named housing, said flanges having raised surfaces therein adapted to he slidaloly received by the grooves of said projections.

8. A can opener comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in said housing, a second shaft journaled in said housing, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the first-menm tioned shaft, a cutting tool movably mounted in said housing with the cutting portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, and means urging said cutting portion toward said feed gear.

S. A can opener comprising a housing adapted to he mounted on a vertical surface, vertically spaced partitions in said housing, having aligned apertures therein, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the shaft, a second shaft journaled in said housing and one of said partitions, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle connected to said second shaft for rotating said shaft, a cutting tool movably mounted in said housing with the lower portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, said handle being movably connected to said second shaft, means actuated by movement of said handle with respect to said second shaft for moving said tool away from said feed gea-r, and means resiliently resisting the movement of said tool away from said feed gear.

1o. A can opener comprising an elongated housing adapted to he mounted on a vertical surface, a shaft journaled in said housing, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of said shaft, a second shaft journaled in said housing, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle connected to one end of said second shaft for rotation in a plane parallel to said vertical surface, F

a vertically extending lever pivotally mounted in said housing, a cutting tool secured to the lower end of said lever in a position adjacent said feed gear, means urging said tool toward said feed gear, said handle being pivotally mounted on said second shaft and connecting means extending between said handle and said lever for causing pivotal movement of said lever upon pivotal movement of said handle on said second shaft.

11. A can opener comprising a housing, upper .and lower partitions mounted in said housing, said partitions having aligned apertures therein, a shaft journaled in said apertures, a feed gear having spirally formed teeth on the periphery thereof mounted on the lower end of said shaft, a cutting tool pivotally mounted in said housing with the lower portion thereof adjacent said feed gear, means urging pivotal movement of said tool towards said feed gear, and means for rotating said shaft.

l2. A can opener comprising a housing, said housing having securing means adapted to he placed adjacent a vertical surface, a shaft journaled in said housing, a spiral toothed feed gear positioned at the lower end of said shaft, a second shaft journaled in said housing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a handle mounted on one end of said second shaft for rotation of said second shaft, a vertically extending lever pivotally mounted in said housing, a cutting tool secured to the lower end of said lever in a position adjacent said feed gear, and means urging said tool toward said feed gear.

i3. A can opener comprising a housing including vertically extending face and side portions, a vertical sha t journaled in said housing, the lower end of said shaft having a toothed feed gear thereon, a second shaft journaled in said housing, means operatively connecting said shafts, a handle pivotally mounted on said second shaft for rotation thereof, a vertically extending lever pivote-ily mounted in said housing, a cutting tool secured to the lower end of said lever in a position adjacent said feed gear, connecting means extending between said handle and said lever, said iever being pivoted by pivoting said handle outwardiy of said housing so as to move said tool away from said feed gear through action of said connecting means, and means urging said tool toward said feed gear.

14. A can opener comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in housing, a handle supported on said housing and operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of the shaft, a cutting tool movably mounted in said housing and having a cutting portion adjacent the feed gear, and means urging said cutting portion toward said feed gear.

l5. A can opener comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in said housing, a handle mounted on said housing and operatively connected to said shaft for rotation thereof, a toothed feed gear secured to the lower end of said shaft, a cutting tool movahly mounted in said housing and having a cutting portion adjacent said feed gear, means urging said cutting portion toward said feed gear, said handle losing pivotally mounted, means for connecting said handle with said cutting tool upon pivotal movement of said handle so as to cause movement of said cutting tool away from said feed gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,556,943 Linstedt Oct. 13, 1925 2,437,234 Webb Mar. 2, 1948 2,441,322 Jager May 11, 1948 

